If you want to know the Supreme, then you have to hear from Him. Just like about Kṛṣṇa, we have to hear from Him. Kṛṣṇa is speaking Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa is speaking everything. All Vedic knowledge is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is speaking. How Kṛṣṇa is speaking? That is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1). Kṛṣṇa spoke to Brahmā. Ādi-kavi means Brahmā. He spoke to him. But if somebody says, "Brahmā . . . when Brahmā was born from the lotus flower, there was nobody there. So how he could hear from anybody?" therefore Bhāgavata says, tene brahma hṛdā. Hṛdā means "through the heart." Through the heart he was educated. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's another name is caitya-guru. Caitya-guru means "The guru who is sitting within your heart." Caitya-guru. But He does not speak to anyone. He speaks to everyone, but only the devotee can hear. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
- bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
- dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ
- yena mām upayānti te
- (BG 10.10)
Unless you are a devotee, unless you are constantly engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, He will not speak to you. He speaks, but you cannot hear. You have no ears to hear Him. That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa is speaking. Just like Kṛṣṇa is speaking in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). It is open speaking, but who is hearing? Nobody is hearing. Nobody is hearing. They have got their own conception of life.
Therefore, unless there is mercy of Kṛṣṇa, there is no possibility of understanding Kṛṣṇa. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). By your these blunt material senses you cannot understand what is the name of Kṛṣṇa, nāmādi.
Guest: Baith jaiye. (Sit down.)
Prabhupāda: That's all right. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi.
(aside) That's all right. Why you are bothering?
Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. In these blunt material senses you cannot understand what is this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. It requires purification of the senses, when you will understand what is Kṛṣṇa's name, nāmādi, what is Kṛṣṇa's form, what is Kṛṣṇa's quality, what is Kṛṣṇa's entourage, what is Kṛṣṇa's pastime. You cannot understand. How you will be understanding? Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. When you are engaged in the loving service of the Lord, beginning with your tongue, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau, by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and taking prasādam, in this way, gradually, when you will be purified, you will understand what is Kṛṣṇa. He will reveal. Kṛṣṇa reveals. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). For others, He is covered with yogamāyā's curtain, but for the devotees, He is open.
This is the secret. Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). If you simply study Veda, you will never be able to understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore so many so-called Vedāntists, they do not know what is Kṛṣṇa. They consider Kṛṣṇa as ordinary human being. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). So the mūḍhas, the rascals, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Only the devotees. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). If you want to understand Kṛṣṇa in truth, then you will have to accept this process, bhakti. Kṛṣṇa never says that "By jñāna, by yoga, by karma you can understand." No.